Curiosity Killed The Elta
by Llola
Summary: Elta lives in Volterra, Italy. When she gets a little to nosy on Saint Marcus Day and follows a group of people into a turret, she learns something new about her hometown. Something dangerous. First fan fic, rated T just to be safe!
1. Chapter 1: Aww Crap!

Curiosity Killed the Elta: A Fan Fiction Based On the Twilight Saga by Stephanie Meyer

**DISCLAIMER: I don't own anything that Stephanie Meyer's AWESOME imagination came up with.**

**A/N: This is my first fan fic, so if it sucks, I understand.**

Chapter 1: Aww Crap!

Elta looked around nervously, her eyes darting everywhere. She shouldn't be here and she knew it. If she hadn't been so nosy, she would still be outside in the streets enjoying the Saint Marcus Day festival, where her complete red ensemble would be appropriate. Elta shivered in her long sleeved, square necked, red mini dress as she rode upward in an elevator within a crowd of unfamiliar, foreign people.

After a second or two, the doors binged open. Elta's red high tops squeaked slightly as they all followed an amazingly beautiful woman with purple eyes out into a tasteful business-like lobby. _She looks like an angel,_Elta thought. Despite the reassurance vibe the lobby was giving out, Elta trembled visibly with fear. The angel turned around and locked eyes with Elta, scrutinizing her. Elta felt weird under the close examination of such a beautiful person. An epiphany lit up the angel's eyes, a tiny "oh" coming from her mouth. Elta jumped and put her head down, moving her waist length, red-streaked, black curls into curtains on either side of her face.

As they entered a more medieval room off the lobby, Elta gasped in shock. Practically running out of the room was another angel, a male. His black eyes flashed with fear as he towed along his companion. Elta realized that this girl was human, though she showed beauty like that of the angels. _How strange, _Elta thought, _that a human be traveling with angels._ Turning her eyes upon the girl, she saw the utter fear in her eyes, fear for her life. Fear for the black eyed angel's life. Just then she saw the angel that had accompanied the odd pair. He was tall and just as beautiful as the black eyed angel, but there was a distinct difference. He had hungry blood-red eyes.

The purple eyed angel girl led Elta and her group into a perfectly circular room. _We must be in a turret,_thought Elta, thinking of her location from the outside. Then Elta noticed them. There were about a dozen more angels surrounding her and the crowd. As she looked at them, a scream rose up in her throat. These angels had the same hunger filled, crimson irises that the other angel had. Realization dawned on Elta suddenly. Angels did not walk the earth, but demons most certainly did.

**A/N: Ok, I know that my chapters are short, but there are going to be a lot of them and the chapters will be updated 2 or 3 at a time! Review please!**


	2. Chapter 2: Smooth Move!

Chapter 2: Smooth Move

Chapter 2: Smooth Move

Elta's eyes bulged as she fought to keep down her scream. One demon in particular noticed her reaction. His skin was like onion skin, a contrast to his black hair.

"What is it that troubles you so, young one?" he asked her, putting a hand on her shoulder. Elta's eyes got wider as he stared at her. Then, all at once, his kindness turned into ferocity as he turned on the purple eyed demon, whose eyes were red now.

"The priest's daughter? Of our own CITY?!" he yelled straight into her face. Her face turned into anger as well.

"There's no possible way! I came from regions FAR beyond Volterra! She couldn't possibly be a De Luca!!" the demon shouted, though the tiniest moment of doubt occurred in her eyes. The male demon placed a hand on her shoulder, his eyes closed as he concentrated on something.

"You recognized her when you were walking them in! And how could you not? She looks like exactly like your sister!" he said in a calm but dangerous voice.

"Impossible. That was almost a century ago. The exact look could not have carried that long through the De Luca line!" she replied in a level voice, but her face said otherwise. The male demon then turned on Elta.

"Dear child, who is your father?" he asked her politely, resting his hand on her shoulder once more. It made her shiver. She hadn't noticed how cold his touch was before.

"My father's name is Gianni De Luca, the priest of the Santa Maria Assunta Cathedral," she answered shakily. He nodded.

"And how old is he?" he asked calmly.

"My father is 43 years old."

"Do you by chance have a grandmother that is 65 years old that named Bella De Luca?" he asked her. Elta was stunned.

"Yes. She still lives in the city," Elta answered.

"If she is related, then why is her last name De Luca and not Romano?" the female demon asked the male skeptically.

"Because my grandmother gave birth to my father alone after her husband had died a month before the birth. So, she raised him under her maiden name of De Luca," Elta rasped out between dry lips. The male demon smiled at her. Just then did he notice the crowd of other people, looking on, confused.

"Elta, is it? Would you please go back through that door right there and wait in the lobby until we need you?" the male demon asked politely, taking his hand off her shoulder. Elta nodded and went back the way she had come, glad to be going.


	3. Chapter 3: Good Witch or Bad Witch?

Chapter 3: Good Witch or Bad Witch

**Disclaimer: I don't own Stephanie Meyer's characters!**

Elta hurried through the stone room and out into the lobby. The receptionist there gave her the weirdest look between astonishment and relief. Then Elta knew why. She heard ear splitting screams from the turret room. Elta shuddered as she had an epiphany.

"How could I not have seen it?" she muttered to herself as she went through her school history lessons in her head. Vampires. That was the only logical explanation. The vampires that Saint Marcus was supposed to have run out of Volterra forever ago. Then she realized something else. She had seen Saint Marcus in that room. He had been standing there, moving occasionally. He looked exactly the same as in her history textbooks. He had run off the vampires, only because he was one. He wanted himself and his other fellows to be the only ones in Volterra. Elta's mind flashed back to things the 2 demons had said.

_"The priest's daughter? Of our own CITY?!"_

But Elta was the priest's daughter. And she was of Volterra.

"_There's no possible way! I came from regions FAR beyond Volterra! She couldn't possibly be a De Luca!!"_

There was a possible way. It was Elta's curiosity. Even though the female demon had gone to regions far beyond Volterra to keep the illusion of no vampires, strange little Elta had ended up in her group of prey. She shuddered and curled up into her chair. Only then did she notice that the black eyed angel and his human girl were there. Then she noticed someone new, an angelic female with golden eyes and pixie-like features. Somehow, Elta knew that these were angels. She didn't know how, but she just _knew_.

Elta began to subtly listen into their conversation. The black eyed angel was reassuring the girl was what it sounded like to Elta. She had never seen a more beautiful man than the one who sat a few chairs away from her. But she did not feel an attraction for him. She sensed that he and the girl belonged together, as if they should be attached at the hip. He was right for her and she was right for him. Other people's eyes may not have seen it, but Elta's did. She could see the look of adoration in both their eyes. Then another demon stepped out. He looked so young.

"You're free to leave now. We ask that you don't linger in the city," the small demon said.

"That won't be a problem," the male angel said as he went to the elevators hurriedly. As soon as the elevator doors had closed, the demon boy turned to her.

"They're ready for you," he said as he led the way to the circular room. Elta took in a deep breath of air and stood up. She followed the little vampire boy into the room, her stomach weighing a ton.


	4. Chapter 4: Lullaby

Chapter 4: Lullaby

**Disclaimer: I think you get it by now, but I don't own the Twilight Saga characters. I ALSO don't own the song. If you want to look it up, it's Lullaby by Mandah. It's most popularly known for being Jigglypuff's song in the first ever Pokemon movie.**

Elta walked through the doors into that circular room that was already starting to give her waking nightmares. The head demon smiled as he went forward to greet her, placing a hand upon her shoulder once again. _What the hell is this guy's problem?_ Ella thought, _Why's he always gotta touch me when we're talking?_

"Well, well, my dear Elta. It seems you are smarter than I pegged you for. No, we're not demons per se, but vampires. That is the aspect in which you are correct. And your correctivity is a troubling problem in the outcome of your survival. What shall we do with you?" he said, shaking his head. "Any opinions?" he asked the room. A small vampire, looking the little boy's twin, raised her hand politely. "Yes, Jane?" the vampire questioned.

"Seeing as she knows the secret, our only option is to kill and possibly drink. Unless, Aro, there is any reason to find her suitable as an immortal," the small girl named Jane said, her eyes boring into Elta with intensity. The vampire named Aro considered this possibility.

"Well, Elta, is there anything special you've ever been able to do?" he asked her. Elta considered this. "Something, oh I don't know supernatural?" he said. Elta shook her head. Then she remembered something.

"When I sing, everyone just stops. They become calm and forget their problems. They almost forget what they were going to do," she confessed, hoping it would be enough to save her life. Aro's eyebrows shot up, but he saw in her the truth.

"Demonstrate for us, if you would," Aro commanded. Elta shied away.

"I don't know if it would work for non-humans," she said, hoping it wasn't going to cost her.

"Fair enough. Alec, go get Gianna. Tell her that the time has come," he said as he motioned for the small vampire. Alec nodded and left the room. Moments later, he returned with Gianna who looked as frightened as possible. Aro nodded in Elta's direction. She closed her eyes and inhaled deeply, getting ready to sing:

Just cause I'm small  
Can't hurt you at all  
I'm only a girl, what to do?  
Let me sing my song for you

Not many can  
Resist my command  
I know just how to get to you  
Let me sing my song for you

When you lay down late at night  
I'm the siren you can't fight  
I know you don't stand a chance  
There's nothing you can do  
Once I put my spell on you  
When I sing my lullaby...

Lullaby...  
Lullaby...  
Lullaby...  
When I sing for you my lullaby

Now that you've seen  
It wasn't a dream  
I ran you behind the questioning  
Told you boy, I would come after you

Now it's too late  
Can't hesitate  
Can't hide a shade of danger full  
Watch out boy, I'm coming for you

When you lay down late at night  
I'm the siren you can't fight  
I know you don't stand a chance, boy  
There's nothing you can do  
Once I put my spell on you  
When I sing my lullaby...

Lullaby...  
Lullaby...  
Lullaby...  
When I sing for you my lullaby

In your sleep  
It's got you so deep,  
My sweet melody  
Has captured you forever more...

Lullaby...  
Lullaby...  
Lullaby...  
When I sing for you my lullaby  
Sing my lullaby...

When you lay down late at night  
I'm the siren you can't fight  
I know you don't stand a chance  
There's nothing you can do  
Once I put my spell on you  
When I sing my lullaby...

Sing my lullaby

When Elta opened her eyes, Gianna sat on the floor, her eyes open, and her face calm. Aro looked from Gianna to Elta with a scheming expression on his face.

"Impressive," he said, "very impressive."


	5. Chapter 5: Breaking Curfew

Chapter 5: Breaking Curfew

**Disclaimer: Don't own Stephanie Meyer's stuff!**

Elta blinked as Alec swiftly picked up Gianna and carried her back to the lobby. Aro's smile widened as he looked at her.

"That, my dear, was a very beautiful composition," he voiced.

"I didn't write it. I just know it by heart," Elta admitted, keeping her eyes on her high tops.

"Maybe not, but your gift is extraordinary. If it can do that to humans whilst you are still in your current state, imagine what it could do to anyone whence you are one of us!" Aro commented, his voice racing with excitement.

"One of you?" Elta questioned, swallowing a scream. Aro nodded.

"Yes, dear child. You think that we would let someone with a gift of your kind go to waste? Not a chance! Unless, of course, you would prefer death," he said. Elta shook her head violently. "That's what I thought. Now, if you could all please excuse us, Elta and I have some business to attend to upstairs," he spoke to the other vampires, leading Elta by the hand up a steep staircase in the corner of the room that she had never notice before. Once they were out of earshot, or so Elta thought, she began questioning.

"How long is this going to take? I have a curfew of 11," she said, sneaking a look at the watch on her wrist. It said 10:30. Aro laughed.

"My dear, this process takes time. You will be breaking curfew by several days, several years. Now, come here," he ordered her. Elta obediently lay upon the table he indicated. Aro strapped down her limbs, looking down upon her sinisterly. Elta suddenly wished she had let him kill her. Aro bore down upon her, exposing his teeth. "This will only hurt a lot. Scream freely, I will think no less of you for it," Aro said gently as his teeth neared her throat. Before he even touched her, Elta's screaming began.

_So much pain,_ Elta thought. She wanted it over. Elta had no idea how long it had been since Aro's venom had been injected into her system. It felt like centuries to her, but her time judgment was not very legitimate right now. Then Elta realized that the pain was fading slightly from her fingertips. She closed her mouth and her incessant screaming stopped. Elta wiggled her fingertips a little; happy she could actually move them! She soon discovered that her toes would wiggle inside of her high tops. Elta was ecstatic. This must mean the 3 days was nearly over! _Thank god! I need to get up. I'm so stiff,_ Elta complained to herself.

About 4 hours or so went by and Elta figured out that she could lift her legs as far as her restraints would let her. After another 3, her arms would move up to the elbow. Two hours later, she had regained full mobility in her arms. _Now all I have to do is get my body and head moving,_ Elta thought, trying her hardest to move her butt in some small way.

Two and a half hours later, she succeeded. From her waist down could move. Elta grinned to herself. _Almost done, _her thoughts voiced. Next, Elta worked on her stomach. Two hours later, she could have been a belly dancing fool for all she was moving.

Another hour later, Elta's whole torso could move. Another hour after that, she lifted her head and her eye's fluttered open.

"Aro, I'm done."


	6. Chapter 6: Strengthening

Chapter 6: Strengthening

**Disclaimer: Stephanie Meyer owns anything familiar.**

"Wonderful! Brilliant!!" Aro cried as he freed her from the table. Elta was astonished. She could see everything so much clearer. She could hear better, too. A fly buzzed by her ear, and she caught it. "Would you like to see the new you, Elta?" he asked her, motioning to a full length mirror upon the wall. Elta walked slowly toward it, gasping when she saw her reflection. She ran a hand through her curls, which now seemed shinier, more lustrous. And her skin! It was perfectly smooth, her dark complexion still visible under the porcelain of her features. She ran her hands down the length of her body, amazed. _I'm beautiful,_ Elta thought with shock. She was not flawed in any way, shape, or form. She brought her gaze back towards her face and saw something that scared her to death.

"My eyes…" she said, her hands going up to them. They were the same perfect crimson as her dress. Aro nodded and smiled.

"Yes, aren't they wonderful? I must say, as lovely as you were a human, being a vampire suits you, young Elta! Come now, we must show you off and test the strengths of your talent!" Aro said excitedly, racing down the stairs at lightening speed, Elta keeping perfect pace. They soon reached the room, where the same crowd of vampires was waiting.

"My fellow, immortals, I present to you the new Elta De Luca!" Aro said, sweeping aside, revealing her. There was a collective gasp.

"Nice pick, Aro," one of the males commented.

"Ah, yes. Felix, would you be as kind as to let us demonstrate the strengthening of Miss Elta's talent on you? You are exceptionally strong willed," Aro asked the male who had spoken earlier. Felix nodded.

"Of course," Felix said, walking in front of Elta. She focused all her energy on Felix and began to sing the same song. She kept her eyes on Felix throughout the entire song. By the first chorus, she could tell he was struggling. By the second chorus, Felix had the vacant eyes and calm face. By the end of the song, he was lying on the floor as Gianna had. Elta smiled as Aro applauded.

"Bravo, Elta! Bravo!" he shouted euphorically. Elta beamed as the other vampires looked upon her with amazement. Elta could see their thoughts on their faces. We shouldn't get on her bad side, they were thinking, because it could cost us our lives. Their thoughts were absolutely right. As soon as she had rendered them helpless, Elta could do whatever. Then, a thought struck her.

"Aro," she asked, "How are we going to explain this to my family?" Aro's happiness faded for just a second as he thought about this.

"That is a good question, Elta. I must think on that a little while longer. Of course, we will not actually explain your vampirism to your family, but simply mask it so you can be away from them," he babbled.

"Why must I be away from them?" Elta countered.

"Because you will kill them! Elta, you are a newborn vampire. If you go that close to a human, they will die, you will drink, and we will have some serious problems on our hands! We have to mask it!" he explained in a condescending voice, as if she were a 2 year old. Elta wanted to smack herself. Why had she not thought of that before? But how, she wondered, was Aro supposed to mask her sudden disappearance?


	7. Chapter 7: Suicidal

Chapter 7: Suicidal

**Disclaimer: Still WISH I could own the Twilight Saga and it's characters, but Stephanie Meyer does!**

"How are you going to do it?" Elta asked Aro tentatively.

"Well, it will have to involve you disappearing and never returning or returning after a very long period of time," Aro explained. Jane raised her hand again, smiling at her master. "Yes, Jane, dear one?"

"The possibilities are numbered. Kidnapping, murder, or suicide," she explained calmly. Aro nodded.

"Yes, you are correct. But there are flaws with your choices!" he exclaimed, "She cannot be kidnapped because of the simple fact that people will look for her! If her parents put out a worldwide search for her, someone in Africa could recognize her!"

"That is true, master. But then we have the other two possibilities under the heading of death," Jane said a bit scornful, unhappy to have one of her brilliant plans shot down.

"Death was always the reasonable cover," Aro said, deliberating, "But not murder!! Volterra is considered one of the safest cities in the world! I will not have it tainted by the murder of a 16 year old girl!!"

"So I commit suicide. And how would we do that in the most believable manner? Slitting my wrists wouldn't work seeing as that would not affect my body, anymore. Pills wouldn't truly show up in an autopsy," Elta said, choices flashing across her eyes. _Jumping!! Walls!! No, the walls are too low for death…_ Elta thought. Then it hit her as she looked at the ceiling of the room. "So which turret am I jumping off of?"

"Brilliance!! Such intelligence you show us, young one!! Almost unbelievable!" he exclaimed, clapping his hands. "Now, you will jump off the west turret, seeing as it is uninhibited and has a marvelous stair well to the top! I assume you can jump, scream, land, stay still, lie in a coffin, be buried, then wait for us to break you out?" Aro asked. Elta thought about this and nodded.

"I can do all of those things. But how shall you break me out??" she asked.

"Very simply, really. We wait until nightfall, then dig you up, get you out, and rebury the coffin," Jane stated as if it was a kindergarten math test. Elta thought, nodded, thought some more, and nodded again. Then Elta sighed.  
"How is my three day absence of changing going to be explained?" Elta asked suddenly. Aro smiled.

"Well, Elta, you were becoming depressed. You had been cutting yourself for quite sometime. You saw the Saint Marcus Day Festival as the perfect chance to run away. As you hid in the deep alleyways of the city and it seemed no one was looking for you, you became suicidal. After your fourth day of disappearance, someone sees a red figure atop the west turret and shouts 'Look up there!' They will all look as you take a leap, your shrill screams echoing throughout the city walls. You'll land with a deafening crunch. When they whisk you away to the hospital, you won't be breathing and your heart will be silent. They will take you to the morgue. Two days later, they will dress you in your family's choice of clothing and put you in a casket. The viewing will be held that day, the ceremony the next day. That night, Felix and Demetri will sneak to the cemetery and dig your casket up, letting you out. You will return to this turret with them," Aro explained, talking with his hands through it all.

"You really go to elaborate lengths to keep up your charade going, don't you?" Elta asked. Aro only smiled.


	8. Chapter 8: Fake It

Chapter 8: Fake It

**Disclaimer: If it's name isn't Elta, it's not mine!**

Elta sighed. She was standing on top of the west turret in her same red dress. Jane had tattered it a little as to prove she had run away for 4 days. She looked down at her wrist. There were more than a dozen fake scars and red slashes. _This is one important cover up,_ Elta thought. She sucked in a huge breath of air as she stepped into view of the city. Her superior hearing detected Alec's voice from somewhere in the very cloudy square.

"Look up there! Someone is atop the western turret!!" he said. Elta smiled. She knew Alec was going back to their turret now. His part was done. Elta could see people pointing at her, hear their exclamations. She took another deep breath and jumped. And then the screaming started. She screamed loud and shrilly, all the way down until she hit the stones below, where a deafening crunch sounded. Elta knew it wasn't really her. Aro had a store of human bones that she knew Demetri had just crushed through a speaker system somewhere nearby. She kept her eyes open in a look of utter fear as she lay there unmoving. And then she heard the screaming again as someone pushed their way through the medical team surrounding her.

"My baby!! That's my baby! Let me through!" Elta heard her mother say as ambulance people were shoved aside. "ELTA!! OH MY GOD! GIANNI!! ELTA'S DEAD!!" her mother screamed. Elta tried her hardest not to flinch as she heard the agony in her mother's voice. And she saw her father coming into view. His sobs hurt the most. Elta's father was so in control of his emotions, or so Elta had thought, up until now. He bent over her back and Elta felt moisture seep through her dress onto her spine. She was going to kill Aro for this. She hadn't known how much it would hurt. Elta fought back tearless sobs as she felt herself being lifted onto a stretcher. Then it all went black as they covered her with a sheet and loaded her into the ambulance.

The next thing Elta knew she was in the morgue. Her legs protested as they lay her on the cold metal.

"She's definitely dead. Not only is she not breathing and her heart is stopped, but jumping from that height, her neck and spine, plus a number of other bones, would be completely shattered," a doctor said to the morgue director.

"Do we have identity?" the morgue director asked.

"Yes. Her name is Elta Bella De Luca. She was the girl who went missing for 4 days," the doctor replied.

"Was their any indication as to why she jumped? I mean, I know it was a suicidal attempt, but the priest's daughter has always been shown as a happy girl. She had perfect grades at school, tons of friends, and the most angelic voice," the morgue director said.

"Well, we know this wasn't just a sudden wave of depression. I had some people tell me she was depressed for quite a while. And this," he said, lifting her sleeves, "would be more proof. I counted in the ambulance and there are exactly 45 scars and 20 slash marks that look quite recent. In fact, this one has just scabbed up." Elta felt the doctor press lightly on the fake scab. _They're good. I wonder how many times before they've had to do this,_ she thought to herself.

"She's very beautiful. It's such a shame to the family. Such a shame," the morgue director said as he slid her into her slot. And with that, they both left. Elta waited until she heard the door lock to push herself out. She sat up and her breath cam out in a quiet _whoosh._

"Wow, I sure can fake it," she said to the empty morgue, looking around. This was going to get old fast.


	9. Chapter 9: Finally

Chapter 9: Finally

Chapter 9: Finally

Elta had tried everything to entertain her. She'd played rock, paper, scissors with herself, she'd made hand puppets out of dead people's hands, she had sung, she had skipped, run, walk. And now she sighed in relief as she crawled back into her morgue slot. It was the 2nd day after being in the morgue. She heard the door on the floor above click open. Elta took a deep breath and pushed herself back into the metal cocoon, only to be slid out 2 minutes later. She listened to the voices and felt the sudden urge to cry.

"She's right here," the morgue director said, "so I will let you take care of this business. Come up when you're done." Elta was set upon the big metal table in the middle of the body room.

"Thank you, Mr. Canes," Dusk said. And that was the voice that brought non-existent tears to Elta's eyes. Dusk had been her best friend since they had met in bible school when they were 2. They were so tight, they had potty-trained together!!

Elta felt her red dress being peeled off her incredibly still body. Dusk unlaced her high tops and slid them off her feet. Elta felt a small drop of moisture land on her pinky toe.

"Gawd, why Elta? Why the hell did you do it? You had always seemed so happy! You had only talked about death once! I thought you were fine! Now I feel like such an idiot for never seeing it all!! I feel like such a horrible friend because I couldn't help you!!" Dusk was crying all her words out. Elta felt terrible. Her best friend thought that she was a horrible friend because she had never seen Elta's fake depression. And she was the one chosen to dress her in her funeral clothes. _Wait, _Elta thought,_ there could be an advantage to Dusk dressing me. Did she pick out the clothes? Or is she following my parents' rules? _Elta truly had no idea. But she knew how to find out. Elta knew her parents would have dressed her very churchy. In fact, she knew the exact outfit. It would have been her modest neck-line sky blue dress with the cap sleeves that hit just below the knee. That was how her parents would want all of Volterra to see her.

But when Dusk walked up the stairs, Elta found out that her best friend had definitely NOT played by her parents' rules. Instead of the church dress, Elta was wearing her party clothes. Her long, tan legs were bared, the top part of her thighs covered in a black skirt with cheerleader pleats that had a shiny, silver chain strung through the belt loops. Dusk had clad her in a neon purple halter top that flaunted her curves and let a sliver of skin when she reached up to fix her hair. And then Elta wanted to jump for joy. On her feet was a pair of silver, strappy, 5 inch stilettos. _My favorite!!_ Elta thought. Then she turned to the wall of metal slots and looked at her reflection. She was pleasantly surprised when she saw her eyes. They were the same distinct shade of brown as before, and Elta knew how. The Volturi had given her green colored contacts.

"Green plus red makes brown," Elta said, echoing her elementary school art teacher. Her long hair had had the fake red clip ons replaced with her purple ones. Her curls had been left to hang beautifully around her angelic face. Then she heard someone clomping down the stairs. Elta lay back down on the table rapidly, just now noticing the fingerless, black mesh gloves that reached her elbows. _I love my friends,_ thought Elta. She stiffened as the morgue director, Mr. Canes, lifted her onto a gurney and rolled her into an elevator. Elta knew where she was going. When they reached the ground floor, she was lifted into a casket. She felt the casket loaded into the back of a hearse. It drove for a little while. Then Elta felt herself being unloaded. She was at the funeral home. She felt a thump under her as they set the casket down. The lid was opened and artificial light splayed across her face. Then she heard more voices.

"The viewing will start in an hour. Is she dressed?"

"Yes. Odd choice of clothing, though."

"Yeah, but it looks good on her. Everything looks good on someone that pretty. The purple brings out her eyes."

Elta suppressed a gasp when she heard her boyfriend Ray comment on her party clothes. The purple one had always been his favorite. Elta knew that she would never be able to see him again, even though now all she wanted was to cling to him. And then she heard the voices she had been waiting for.

"Oh my god, Dusk, I didn't think you had the guts to do it!" It was Myra, her other best friend.

"Well, duh I did it! I have more guts than you do, Miss Myra!" Dusk countered. Then Elta heard a matching trio of giggles, one huskier than the other two. The Triplets.

"Dusky has a point, My," Tristan said.

"Yeah. You didn't wanna go dress her 'cause you were afraid Mr. De Luca would have a cow all over your ass!" Ileana shot at Myra. Elta could just see her doing the head thing.

"Guys, have some respect will you? Think about where we are and why we're here!" Gabe said. He was the male in her trio of identical friends. She could just picture them all: Tristan and Ileana with their long and straight waterfalls of lush dark red hair and Gabe with his shaggy cut of the same color. With their skin like moonlight and eyes like the sea. Elta had always envied their gorgeousness. Dusk and Myra were beautiful too. Dusk had shoulder length light brown hair that was wavy and layered. Her skin was and beige color and she had the most entrancing emerald eyes. And then there was angelic Myra. She had and ivory skin tone and long, long silvery blonde hair to match her gray eyes.

And then as her friend's voices faded away, she heard one of the most beloved voices in the world. Jayla Elizabeth De Luca, Elta's 21 year old sister. She had been in Germany, attending college for the past 3 years. But now she was here. And Elta almost let a sob rip from her chest. But then Aro's words echoed in her head. _"If you mess this up, Elta, you will be dead. Dead as dead can be!!"_ Elta shuddered on the inside. She had to hold it in. _It's almost over,_ Elta thought. And then she remembered that she had the funeral tomorrow. Just. Freaking. Peachy!

The funeral was going to start in 10 minutes. Elta couldn't stand this. So much crying and wailing and so many humans! The Volturi had fed her right before they had sent her off, but now she was ravenous. They had welded and bolted the coffin shut that night. She was glad. She didn't know if she could get out, but she was doing all she could to restrain herself.

Two hours later, she could feel herself being lifted. The ceremony was finally over. Elta checked her watch. It was 8 pm. In 4 short hours, Felix and Demetri would be breaking her out, THANK PINEAPPLES! Elta felt herself being lowered into the ground. Twenty minutes later, loud thumps came from above the casket. The dirt. They were officially burying her. She checked her watch again. 8:30 pm. Three and a half hours to go.

Elta was bored. It was only 9:15, and she was bored as hell. There wasn't much you could do inside a coffin. So she sang to herself. She sang the lullaby, she sang hip hop, she sang metal, and she even sang opera. When she checked her watch, it was 11:55. _5 more minutes THANK BANANAS! _Elta thought. She decided to sing a farewell song to her prison. When she was done, she heard rapid digging. Felix and Demetri. Five minutes later, the lid of her coffin was opened and Felix half whistled.

"So this is how they dress people for funerals, nowadays?" he asked with a smirk. Elta smiled.

"It is if your friends love you. Now move, so I can get out of this thing," Elta climbed out gracefully, a speck of dirt never touching her favorite outfit. "Thank apples I'm finally out of there. Now let's go. I'm starving!"


	10. Chapter 10: Harder

Chapter 10: Harder

Chapter 10: Harder

Elta let laughter rip through her chest as she, Demetri, and Felix ran through the sprawling Italian countryside. The only thought that was going through her mind was blood. She needed it. She ran closer to Demetri as she felt his pace quicken. Elta bore into Demetri with questioning eyes.

"There's a small farm 20 miles ahead. Mother, father, and I think 2 kids!" he said excitedly. Elta's nose then caught a whiff of her soon to be prey. She crowed with joy and ran faster still, surpassing Demetri and Felix. In a few minutes, she came upon the farmhouse. Elta jumped atop the roof, landing silently. She inhaled the scent under her and grinned. Demetri and Felix appeared next to her and they nodded. Elta ripped out a section of the roof and dropped silently into a corner. The startled couple looked up at the sudden gaping hole in their roof, not noticing the vampire that was rounding their room in the shadows, getting closer and closer to their bed.

"What in the world? The night is perfectly clear!" the farmer exclaimed as he wandered under the hole. The massacre began. Felix dropped onto the man, instantly breaking his neck. Then the screaming started up. Elta quickly crushed the woman's windpipe in her hands; but not before she had awoken her kids. One of the little boys had risen at the sound of his mother's screaming to see Demetri feeding on his older brother. A small snap assured Elta and Felix that Demetri's job was done.

Elta grinned down upon her lifeless prey, a drop of blood oozing from a cut on her neck from Elta's nail. That was all it took. Elta's microscopic amount of self control broke completely and the woman was as good as gone within 5 minutes. But Elta needed more and she didn't want to go far for it. She hurled herself gracefully out the window, crashing into the barn. Startled cows mooed and stomped as Elta landed. She smelled the air. _Not as great, but better than nothing, _she thought, eagerly attacking a large bull. He would've put up a great fight against anything normal. Cows dropped right and left as Demetri and Felix joined her in the barn, supping on the beef. And as soon as they had started feeding on the livestock, they were done. 3 dozen cows lay in ruins upon the floor of hay.

"You, Elta, are a little pig! First you take the wife and then you take down 2 dozen cows all by yourself!" Felix scolded her playfully as they started running back to Volterra. Elta giggled.

"Yeah, I am a pig," she agreed, skipping around trees in a forest. Demetri let out a chuckle.

"Such a huge pig, yet still a skinny little body," he said, pinching Elta's side lightly. Elta giggled.

"Stop it! Just run! I want to get back before sunrise. Hell if I want to wait out somewhere!" Elta exclaimed into the night, doing a random somersault in the air. The vampiric trio raced lightheartedly across the country until they happened upon a small village somewhere around 3 am. Elta went crazy. All she listened to was her thirst screaming inside her head to murder them all. Demetri and Felix immediately went into bodyguard mode.

"STOP! You can't do this! Not so many in one night! Not a whole village!" Felix screamed at Elta as she savagely tried to break free of their grasp.

"Take what you can, give nothing back!" Elta retorted through gritted teeth, writhing in vain. Demetri chuckled and nodded to Felix. Lifting Elta off her feet, they ran. They ran with an iron hold on her until they arrived upon Volterra. The held her all the way up to the turret where Aro greeted them with open arms.

"Demetri! Felix! Elta, my dear! Have you all had a fun night?" Aro asked joyously, seeming completely oblivious to the struggling Elta. Demetri and Felix knew they need not explain. Aro had dealt with enough newborns to know. The two men nodded, setting Elta down. She panted, glaring up at them. Aro chuckled.

"Elta, you must practice self control! As for Demetri and Felix, let them alone. They won't bother you unless need be!" he explained to the still glaring Elta, who immediately shot her eyes down. Aro smiled at her. "Much better," he said, patting her shoulder. Elta got up swiftly.

"I'm going up to my room," she said quietly, racing up a flight of stairs that hugged the wall. Elta ran up to the very top where she stopped in a small circular room with a sloping ceiling. The top of the turret. She sighed and plopped down on the bed there, blowing her bangs out of her face. Elta's head snapped up when she heard light feet on the stairs. Soon, Jane appeared in her room. Her eyes were merciless.

"Listen here newbie. I am one of Aro's best guards. If you even try to surpass my position by a little bit, I will kill you. And it'll look like some kind of mistake. Mark my words, De Luca. I don't play around when it comes to ranks, got it? Good!" Jane said in a harsh whisper a centimeter from Elta's face. A snarl broke free form Elta's vocal chords and pain shot through her. "Watch it, little one! You might get hurt!" Jane cackled gleefully as she released Elta and pranced lightly down the stairs. Elta screamed into her pillow. She had thought this would have been glorious! But she was dead wrong. This was harder then Elta had expected. She sniffled into her pillow, laying her face sideways.

"I want my mommy," she said to the empty room. She automatically lifted her hand to her face to wipe away a tear that would never appear there again.


	11. Chapter 11: Leaving

Chapter 11: Leaving

Elta just sat there. She had been sitting in exactly the same position for the entire night. She couldn't stand it. Elta wanted to run and feast. But Aro had refused to let her out of the tower without Felix and Demetri present.

"Being a vampire sucks!" Elta said quietly to herself, studying her nails. She heard a chuckle and her head whipped to the stair opening, where Demetri stood.

"It may right now. You just have to give it time, Elta," he reassured her, zipping to her side at lightening speed. Elta moved over on the bed, making room for him to sit down. Demetri scooted in close to the newborn. They were so close that if he was human, she could have heard his heartbeat. But instead there rang an empty, cold silence. Elta ran a hand through her curls, not knowing what to say or do.

"I'm sorry about that whole losing-my-self-control-completely thing last night. It was unexpected, even for me," Elta said quietly, her words resonating through the room. Demetri let out a laugh and placed his hand on her shoulder.

"I don't blame you at all. When I was first a newborn, Aro wouldn't let me out at all after I tried to kill Gianna. But sometimes things happen. You'll be able to control it eventually," Demetri said, brushing a mass of hair from her shoulder. Elta sighed and took out the purple hair pieces.

"So, where can a girl get some clothes around here? You know, besides one of those robe thingies," Elta said in a giggle. She felt out of place in her clubbing gear. Demetri laughed and pulled her up from the bed. They both raced down and around inside the walls for about 5 minutes until the came upon Heidi's room. Heidi was composing music on a small electrical keyboard. As her door opened, she looked up, her beautiful piece lost from the air.

"Can I help you? Because if not, I'm gonna kick your ass. I was in the middle of writing," she said impatiently. Demetri smiled.

"Actually, you can help. I was wondering if young Elta here could borrow an outfit or two before we can get her to a late night sale in Milan," Demetri said, giving Heidi a charming smile. Heidi begrudgingly got up and searched through a bureau. She pulled out a few pairs of jeans and 3 V-neck sweaters in orange, purple, and white. Heidi went to a closet and threw out a pair of silver Converse All-Stars. She handed Elta 6 pairs of socks with the shoes.

"Now, shoo. I need to finish what you disturbed," Heidi spoke, pushing Demetri out after Elta. Elta ran her load back to her small room, locking Demetri out as she changed into a pair of flared dark wash jeans and the white sweater. Elta slipped on the fuzzy white socks and laced up the sneakers in lighting speed. She ran top unlock the door, bumping into Demetri, for he was standing right outside. Elta giggled and slipped past him. She and Demetri wandered around a bit until he led her to a large oak door. Elta knocked timidly, the sound echoing throughout the empty hall.

"Come in," Aro said through the door. Elta and Demetri slipped in silently. Aro smiled. "And what can I help either of you with?" he inquired. Elta sighed.

"Demetri and I would like permission to leave here," Elta rushed out. Aro raised his eyebrows.

"Demetri? I thought you were one of my most loyal," Aro commented. Demetri approached his master.

"Of course I am, but I wish to leave and find a new life. With Elta," he managed to stammer. Aro nodded, thinking this over.

"Well, I have no reason that I need you here other than you are an excellent member of the guard. Well, as I wish not to force you here unhappily, you may leave. But I will need your cloak, please. I will also need you to empty out your room for new recruits," Aro requested. Demetri slipped off the cloak, handing it to Aro. Aro accepted it and turned to Elta.

"Now, you, Elta are a matter of uneasiness to me. You must, absolutely must, remain under Demetri's control. When a newborn gets out of hand, we step in. I would hate to destroy such a beautiful and talented immortal being," Aro commented, delivering Elta a rather creepy smile. Elta nodded.

"I have already promised to Demetri that I will listen to him and take his guidance," Elta said, eager to leave. Aro nodded.

"With that, you are dismissed. Demetri, you may clean out your room and leave the city once night falls," Aro said as they slipped through the doorway again.

When they were in the hallway, Elta let out a giggle. "I've got to say, Aro kind of creeps me out," Elta giggled as she and Demetri ran to his room. Elta gave Demetri a once-over. She had never seen him without that hideous robe on. She had never seen what was underneath it, either. But now, Demetri was clothed in faded jeans and a deep blue long sleeved T-shirt.

"We're here," Demetri announced as he flew into his room. Elta had barely taken a step in the door when he had one duffle bag slung across his shoulder. Elta blinked.

"That's all you have?" she asked disbelievingly. Demetri nodded.

"We travel much, so it's good to pack light. Besides, when you wear that robe all the time, no one sees what's underneath. Oh, but before we get things from your room, we need to tell Heidi we're leaving and ask if you can just keep the things she gave you," Demetri said.

"She can have them. They were things I never wore, anyway," Heidi said as she stood in the doorframe, arms crossed. "Why are you leaving?" she asked Demetri in a pleading tone, as if she forgot Elta was standing right there. Demetri sighed.

"There is nothing here that interests me anymore. Aro gave Elta and I permission to leave, so we're taking the opportunity," he explained. Heidi's face looked as if she had been punched in the gut when Demetri had uttered his first sentence. Heidi stepped closer to him.

"But what about us?" Heidi stammered, her voice trembling. Demetri shook her off.

"Us? What us? When we're in front of anyone, you hate me. When Felix is around, I don't exist. Yet when we were alone, I was your world. You, Heidi, are just a bitch. So, if you don't mind, Elta's going to grab her things and we're leaving," he said, pushing past her. Elta had already returned with a smaller duffle bag slung over her shoulders. Looking out the window, Elta and Demetri saw it was dark. "Goodbye. Forever," Demetri said to a very still Heidi as he grabbed Elta's hand. They jumped out Demetri's window, landing outside the city walls. They ran, having no inkling of where they were to go. They just ran.


	12. Chapter 12: A New Life

Chapter 12: A New Life

"In here," Demetri said, pulling Elta towards a barn somewhere in England. The sun was just beginning to come up, their skin sparkling slightly. Elta swerved and they both tumbled playfully into the barn. Elta smiled happily. It was a hog barn.

"Looks like bacon for breakfast," Elta said as she attacked the largest pig. Demetri smiled at her feeding frenzy, attacking another fat pig.

About ten minutes later, they stepped back from the many carcasses. "We are so destructive…" Elta said sadly, nudging a pig's foot with the toe of her sneakers. Demetri shrugged.

"I thought the bacon wasn't bad…not as good as human blood would have been, though," he commented, pulling Elta down into a big pile of hay. She squealed.

"Ew! No! Not hay! It's all scratchy and gross!!" she whined playfully, pulling a large purple, plush blanket from the bottom of her duffel bag. Demetri pulled out a slightly larger black one. He laid his blanket atop the pile of hay to make it more comfortable. Elta covered them with hers. Neither of them needed any of the blankets. The bottom one was for comfort and the top one was for familiarity as Elta and Demetri relaxed upon the hay. Before lying down, Elta pulled on a pair of cotton drawstring pants she had snagged from a store around 4 am. Demetri whistled as she changed bottoms. Elta responded by sending a sharp roundhouse kick to him. He dodged it perfectly, of course. Demetri let out a small chuckle as Elta crawled in between the blankets, bringing her knees to her chest. Demetri moved closer to her. Elta sighed.

"What's the matter?" he questioned.

"Where are we going?" she asked. Demetri shrugged.

"I really have no idea. Wherever pleases us, I guess," he said.

"And what are we supposed to do when we get to wherever pleases us? It's not like we have any cash, Demetri. We can't really get jobs considering the generous amount of sunlight. Plus, I have limited control. I know you have more, but being surrounded by that many humans without any restraint but yourself could be dangerous!" Elta said. She had never thought about any of this until now. She didn't even know why she was thinking of it now. Demetri sighed.

"We can get night jobs. And as for the whole human thing, we'll work it out," he reassured her. Elta sighed once more.

"Okay. Promise? Do you promise me we're going to try and live normal lives somehow?" she asked, her face close to his. Demetri smiled.

"I promise," he said as his lips touched her cheek. Elta smiled and wrapped her arms around her torso as she leaned into Demetri. Elta let out a little whimper. "What is it, love?" Demetri asked.

"I can't go to sleep!!" she whined. Demetri chuckled and ran a hand across her cheek. "If I can't go to sleep, what the hell am I supposed to do all day?" she complained.

"I can think of a lot of things we could do…" Demetri said, his eyes trailing her body. Elta shook her head.

"You've got to be kidding me," Elta said, laughter in her voice.

"Why would I kid?" Demetri said, moving closer. Elta shook her head.

"Ok, let me review. I've known you less than a week, and you want me to have sex with you? You have seriously got to be kidding," Elta said, her arms crossed. Demetri shook his head, indicating he was serious. "I don't think so," Elta retorted, taking her blanket and crossing to the other side of the barn. Elta kept in a giggle. If Dusk was here, she would be all up in Demetri's face telling him he'd been rejected and shot down. Elta really couldn't believe how idiotic men were. He may be about a century old, but she was still 16. It wasn't gonna happen. Elta retreated into the recesses of her mind for the next few hours.

Elta's stupor was shattered as Demetri nudged her.

"Night has fallen. We can start running now," he said. Elta went to pack her blanket, but he already had. _I guess he was trying to make up for his stupidity,_ Elta thought. Demetri chuckled. "I think that you are the first vampire to achieve semi-sleep. How did you do it?" he asked. Elta shrugged.

"I don't know. I was just sifting through my memory. Replaying my life," she said as she slipped on her jeans and Converse, slinging the duffle bag over her shoulders. "So, have you thought any on where we're going to settle?" she asked, preparing to run. Demetri shrugged.

"Well, it all depends on if you want to stay in Europe. I could go anywhere. It's your choice, really," he said. Elta thought about that.

"How about America?" Elta offered. She had been there once on a family vacation. They had gone to New York City.

"Have you ever been there?" he asked. Elta nodded.

"Once a few years ago. My family and I went on a vacation to New York City," she replied. Demetri shook his head.

"Could you fare in a city with so many people?" he asked tentatively. Elta thought about this.

"Well, we'll probably stay in during the day…But we both need jobs so we can actually get a house. But it must be something at night…" Elta said. Demetri nodded.

"This is true. Let's not worry about that now. Let's just concentrate on getting enough money to get to America and buy a house and such," he said as they left the barn, their feet flying across the ground.

Around 3 am, Demetri stopped and held his nose to the air. Elta did the same. She caught a stronger waft of the scent first. She stood there and smiled at Demetri. They ran closer and Elta gasped. They happened upon a large mansion.

"Hey Demetri," Elta said, gazing upon the magnificent house.

"Yeah?" he answered.

"I know where we're getting the money to go to America," Elta said as she raced up the side of the house. Demetri followed her eagerly. There was only one bedroom of many filled with the scent of hot blood. Elta peered through the glass pane at a handsome man in his 30s and a beautiful woman in her 20s. Elta smiled to Demetri. "Which one do you want?" she asked. Demetri thought.

"I'll take the female. Wait for me when you're done if I'm not. We'll scour the house for money and valuables," he said as he silently opened the window. The pair slipped in and walked to the bed. The sleeping couple's eyes were only open for a millisecond before they were dead.

Elta wiped her mouth on the comforter. She looked over to see Demetri doing the same. "So, where should we start?" she asked.

"In here," Demetri said, removing a portrait of dogs playing poker from the wall. Behind it was a safe. Elta shook her head and giggled.

"How predictable can you get?" she asked rhetorically before ripping off the door. Inside the safe was at least a million dollars in American currency. Elta reached in and took it all, stuffing it in her duffle bag. "I hope you know I plan to go shopping for a new luggage and wardrobe before we leave," she giggled as they flew downstairs. They happened upon the foyer. Elta lifted a painting of a Spanish sunset off the wall. Behind it was a slightly smaller safe. She ripped off the door again and Demetri gasped. Inside was a collection of hundred thousand dollar watches. They were embezzled with diamonds, rubies, emeralds, sapphires, everything. Demetri took them all and stuffed them in his duffle bag.

"These people are so stupid," Demetri said as he stuffed the last watch in. "They're house is riddled with safes in the most predictably stupid places. I like it!" he said as they raced into a room with a grand fireplace. Elta was first to hear it. From under the grand desk against the back wall came the sound of an electronic safe. Elta ripped off the section of drywall covering it. Demetri grabbed her hand as she went to demolish the door.

"Why won't you let me take it off?" she asked. Demetri shook his head.

"This safe is electronic. If the door is ripped off, the nearest police station will be notified. That is the last thing we need, Elta," he explained.

"Then what are supposed to do?" she asked. Demetri retrieved the piece of drywall Elta had thrown aside. On the back of it were the numbers 10-17-19-94. Demetri entered the code. The safe beeped once and opened. Elta was the one to drool over the contents this time. "So many diamonds….So much sparkle!" she said as she stuffed her bag with all the jewelry. Demetri chuckled.

"Alright, now's the time for us to disappear. Come on, Elta. If we run fast now, we can make it to London by morning. And London is a naturally cloudy city. Therefore, we will be able to walk around during the day," he said, waggling his eyebrows. Elta squealed with delight.

"So we can shop?" she said. Demetri nodded. Once more, the pair took off into the night.


End file.
